Acknowledgements
For what size gift (minimum) do you or your unit send an acknowledgement? What variances in your acknowledgements exist based on gift amount? o E-mails i. For what level of giving would you send an e-mail to thank a donor? ii. Under whose signature? o Post cards i. For what level of giving would you send a post card to thank a donor? ii. Under whose signature? o Letters i. For what level of giving would you send a letter to thank a donor? ii. Under whose signature? o Hand Written Notes i. For what level of giving would you send a hand-written note to thank a donor? ii. Under whose signature? o Phone Calls i. For what level of giving would you make a personal phone call to thank a donor? ii. Who makes the call? Do you include receipt information (fund name and dollar amount) in your acknowledgements? How often do you run your acknowledgement process? What’s your average turnaround time for acknowledging gifts? How often do you update your acknowledgement template/text? o Are you comparing the current letter you are sending with the last letter sent? Are acknowledgments sent for planned gifts? o For what level of giving? o What form of acknowledgement (postcard/letter/handwritten note, etc.)? o Under whose signature? Does your unit make a personal call to thank a donor for making a planned gift? Do you acknowledge faculty/staff donors in a special way?
Cards
Does your unit send holiday cards to donors? o To annual giving donors? i. For what level of annual giving do donors qualify to make the holiday card list? o To cumulative giving donors? i. For what level of cumulative giving do donors qualify to make the holiday card list? o To planned giving donors?
i. For what level of planned giving do donors qualify to make the holiday card list? Does your unit send birthday cards to donors? o To annual giving donors? i. For what level of annual giving do donors qualify to make the birthday card list? o To cumulative giving donors? i. For what level of cumulative giving do donors qualify to make the birthday card list? o To planned giving donors? i. For what level of planned giving do donors qualify to make the birthday card list? Does your unit send cards to donors for any other occasions? o For what occasions? i. For what level of giving do donors qualify to make the list? Does your unit send cards to planned giving donors for other occasions? o For what occasions? i. For what level of planned giving (i.e. planned gifts over $10,000, irrevocable planned gifts only, etc.) do donors qualify to make the list?
Phone-A-Thons
Do you utilize phone-a-thons to specifically express appreciation to donors (completely separate from solicitations – callers are specifically expressing gratitude)? o Who makes calls (students/volunteers, etc.)? o How often/what time of year are calls made?
Gifts
Does your unit send a holiday gift to donors? o At what level of giving do they qualify for a gift? o What types of gifts are you utilizing? Does your unit send a birthday gift to donors? o At what level of giving do they qualify for a gift? o What types of gifts are you utilizing? Does your unit send stewardship gifts where premiums are of insubstantial value? o At what level of giving does a donor qualify to receive this gift? o What types of gifts are you utilizing?
Tributes
Does your unit acknowledge donors making gifts in honor or in memory of someone? Does your unit mark these gifts as tributes on the transmittal form so that central can properly set these gifts up in the system, and central DR&S can notify the Honoree/Next of kin? Does your unit send notification to the Honoree/Next of kin when a tribute gift is made?
Giving Societies & Special Donor Groups
Do you utilize giving societies? o Do you have an annual giving society specific to your unit (outside of UGA’s Presidents Club)? i. What is your annual giving society’s name?
ii. What are the levels and amounts required for membership? iii. What are the benefits received for each level of membership? o Do you have a cumulative giving society specific to your unit (outside of UGA’s Cumulative Giving Societies)? i. What is the name your unit’s cumulative giving society? ii. What are the levels and amounts required for membership? iii. What is the criteria for counting planned gifts in your unit’s cumulative giving totals (are all planned gifts counted at face value, only donors with irrevocable gifts, etc.)? iv. What are the benefits received for each level of membership? o Do you have a planned giving society specific to your unit (outside of UGA’s Heritage Society)? i. What is your planned giving society’s name? ii. What is the criteria for inclusion (i.e. planned gifts over a certain level, all planned gift donors, etc.)? iii. What are the benefits of membership? Do you have a first-time donor recognition program specific to your unit (outside of UGA’s first-time donor program)? o How do you recognize first-time donors? o How often do you recognize first-time donors? Do you have a loyalty donor program specific to your unit (outside of UGA’s Third Pillar)? o What is your loyalty donor program’s name? o What is the criteria for inclusion (i.e. three-five years of consecutive giving)? o How do you recognize? o What are the benefits? o How often do you recognize?
Donor Recognition Events
Does your unit hold events specifically designed to recognize unit-specific annual giving donors (outside of UGA’s Presidents Club Reception)? o At what levels? o What type of event (luncheon, cocktail reception, etc.)? o How often? o Who from leadership is involved? Does your unit hold events specifically designed to recognize unit-specific cumulative giving donors? o At what levels? o What type of event (dinner, luncheon, cocktail reception, etc.)? o How often? o Who from leadership is involved? Does your unit hold events specifically designed to recognize unit-specific planned giving donors (outside of UGA’s Presidents Club Reception)? o What type of event (luncheon, cocktail reception, etc.)? o Who is invited to attend – at what level (i.e. all planned giving donors, planned giving donors over a certain level, etc.)? o How often? o Who from leadership is involved? Other than events listed under above question, please list any additional events hosted by your unit that donors/planned giving donors are invited to attend (even if the event is not planned giving specific. o Do you recognize donors/planned giving donors at these events in any way?
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How (i.e. by inclusion of a special pin, special ribbon on nametag, hosting a predinner cocktail reception exclusively for planned giving donors, hosting a prescholarship luncheon appetizer drop in for planned giving donors only, etc.)? How often?
Communications & Publications
Does your unit produce an annual report and/or honor roll of donors? o What giving levels qualify for listing? Annual giving levels? Cumulative giving levels? o Are planned giving donors included in listing? What is the criteria for inclusion (i.e. all planned giving donors, planned giving donors over a certain level, only donors with an irrevocable gift, etc.)? Are planned giving donors listed alphabetically with all donors, alphabetically only with planned gift donors, grouped by giving level with all donors, etc.? o What levels qualify to receive mailing? Does your unit produce any printed publications/magazines that provide opportunities to recognize donors with articles, photos, etc.? o What are the names of the publications? o At what level does a donor qualify to receive publications? o How often are the publications produced? o Are planned giving donors recognized? o At what level of giving does a donor typically qualify for a recognition article, photo, etc. in your publications? o How are they recognized (articles, ads, photos, etc.)? Do you send any other special (stewardship-related) e-communications to donors? o E-Newsletters? For what level of giving? o Specialized e-mails? For what level of giving? o Specialized videos? For what level of giving? o How often do you send special e-communications?
Endowed Fund Stewardship
Do you do anything special when a new endowment is established/funded? o What do you do? How do you steward your scholarship endowment donors? o Student thank you letters/notes? o Scholarship event? Please explain the event. o How often? Who is responsible for awarding scholarships? Is there a process in place for ensuring they are awarded? How do you steward your Chair/Professorship endowment donors? o Yearly updates/impact reports from holders? o Events? Please explain the event. o How often? How do you steward donors of your other endowed funds?
o Impact reports? o How often? How do you steward donors of planned gifts that will ultimately be used to establish an endowed fund? Do you communicate with donors around the time their endowment reports are being sent (sent November 15th from central Donor Relations & Stewardship)? o Communication pre-mailing? o Communication post-mailing?
Commemorative Plaques & Signage
Does your unit recognize donors with specialized signage/donor walls? o At what levels? o Planned Giving? o Locations?
Other Stewardship Activities
Are there any other stewardship-related activities going on within your unit that we have not asked about, and if so, what are they? o For what level of giving are you utilizing these activities? o How often? Does your unit have a customized Statement of Future Gifts (standard form for your unit to document planned gifts)?
Development & Alumni Relations Donor Relations & Stewardship